Bakhshi Iman
DJAGFAR TARIHI
(THE ANNALS OF DJAGFAR)

Translator's Notes

The offered copy of the printed edition has not been
properly proofread, and may contain typos and misspellings.

Page numbers, where shown, indicate pages in the
book publication.

The "mouse over" explanations basically
follow the definitions found in the Annals and represent the views of its
writers, which may be different from the known or accepted conditions of the
present time. They are the best guess and some of them may be incorrect because
of incorrect interpretation of the text by the translator. The translator
of the Annals to Russian left a multitude of the Türkisms in his translation, and they are preserved in the English translation, with the
"mouse over" explanations where available. The dates in
the chapter headings are added during translation and are imprecise indicators
of the period covered.

Defeated Karabash fled to the
Djaik and asked for a permission to hide inside the
State. He got a refusal, and on his own he crossed the river and was
attacked by the Kan, who desired to destroy the
Khan in the name of the
friendship with Juchi. Gazan, Bachman, the Masgut’s son Ishtyak and the
Mardanian
Badjanaks achieved a victory for the
Kan without efforts, and pressed
the Kypchaks to the river. The position of the Oimeks, who have lost their
Khan
in fight, was pitiful, but Chelbir suddenly died, and that has changed it all.
Immediately in the field the Beks raised to the reign Mir-Gazi, to whom... came Gali and asked to spare the poor Kypchaks.
Kan could not refuse his friend and,
ordering to settle the Oimeks in the Bashkort, galloped with him away to the
Bulyar. Kalych was disgracefully expelled from the capital, and Gali became the
Seid. Soon he persuaded Mir-Gazi to cancel the tax increase on all subashes, al-chirmyshes,
merchants and owners of small houses, but did not have time to do more. Djurgi,
learning about the death of Chelbir, grew bolder and started a war with the
State, and the
Kan was distracted to struggle against the Uruses...

Bulyarians refused to bury Gabdulla in the city, and only the Bolgarians agreed
to rest his body in their land. It was because Chelbir especially loved the
Bolgar and even allowed it to mint its own coin, with inscribed name of the
caliph Nasyr-Litdin. It was done because Gabdulla, as Almysh, held himself a
viceroy of the caliph and, consequently, as having the right to appoint the
seids...

After the death of the
Kan it became unnecessary to hide me, and I was released
the from the nasty incarceration in exchange for the forced consent to enter the
Balyn service. Djurgi immediately brought me to the Djun-Cale and announced that
he had the Bulgarian
Emir Gazi-Baradj with him. The Misharian
Bulgars were confused and retreated from the mouth of the
Sain-Idel, where in the place of the Bulgarian
balik Djurgi built again an Urusian fortress. He was helped by the
grandsons of Urman wrathful with the
State.

Even during the Gabdulla's time the Kisanian twins Khalib and Altynbek began a war with the
Kisan, but then pretended to agree to negotiate with the sons of Urman.
Those came armed to the camp of the brothers and stopped in the stan beside the
camp. Being confident in the safety, the Kisans drank too much and after some
threats toward the twins fell dead asleep. At daybreak Ünus, summoned beforehand
by the brothers, suddenly attacked the Kisanian camp and hacked all Kisanians to
the last man, total about 8 thousand men with 5 Beks. Only one Kisanian was
saved, who in a state of intoxication got lost at night in the forest... Another
time, in the 1224, the poor Hakim also had to help the brothers, but drowned crossing the
Kara-Idel near the Burat. Having
waited in vain for him, the twins and the Mardanians retreated.
Emir Khalib also called Gali-biy,
took the post of the Kazan
Ulugbek...
Emir Altynbek, removed in 1218 from
the Uchel, settled in the Bandja, married the daughter of the Khoresmian
Khan Mohammed and time to
time disturbed the Kisans with his intrusions. Later, after the death of the Mohammed son
Emir Djelaletdin, he took his name, put
on his belt and swore to conduct a jihad against the Tatars and all infidels. In one of the campaigns on the
Kisan flared a quarrel of Mergen with Altynbek for the spoils. The Tarkhan
in full fury snatched his sword and hurled on the
Emir. Ünus tried to prevent
the murder, but himself fell under a blow of Mergen and died on the spot. While
the shocked Mardanians were coming to senses, the Tarkhan jumped on the horse and dashed away to the
Tubdjak. Altynbek married the
widow of Ünus, the younger sister of his first wife, the daughter of Ishtyak Fatima, and, becoming the Bellak
Ulugbek, swore to severely revenge the murderer. Chelbir,
however, prohibited the revenge. After the death of the Kan, the Tarkhan, fearing Djelaletdin, totally separated from the
State and was kicked out from the
Tubdjak by Altynbek. Mergen
drove off to Juchi and managed to gain his trust by presenting him a captured Kisanian boyaress, and promised
to help the Tatars to conquer the
State. Through a seized merchant, whom he roasted on the fire to
extort information, Mergen learned about the secret connections between Juchi and Chelbir, and rushed to pass them to Chingiz. The
Great Khan came to fury and
ordered to kill his son. On one of the hunting trips with the trusting him Juchi, Mergen killed him from behind with a chirkes...

Meanwhile Djurgi, not being content with pillages on the border, invaded the
Djun-Mishar district of
biy Markas and strongly burnt it. But when intoxicate by
the victory Uruses undertook to besiege the Deber, Gazan attacked them from the
rear and drove away. Djurgi himself managed to flee safely, but was wounded in
the back, and since then could not ride a horse. His army, consisting of the
Balynss and the militia of the
Kisan's and Kan’s Beks, was driven into a deep snow and was shot up from the bows... 9
Kisan's and Kan’s Beks were killed, and
450 their boyar, from whom were taken chain armors, and the simple soldiers were 12 thousand.

After that Mir-Gazi himself wished to participate in the war and with Gazan came
to the Djun-Cala, whose commander at that time was I. And the
sardar went to the
city directly from the Deber and could not take sheredjirs with him. He expected
to take the city by a sudden strike, by his custom, but Markas on his own
attacked the vicinities and in a blind fury began burning them, which steered up
everybody, and warned us about the attack. When Gazan approached, everyone was
ready to fight to the death, for from the kusyrbays no mercy could be expected. For his guilt the
sardar sent Markas to capture any of the gates, and himself stayed with the
Kan at some distance and observed. My militiamen, however, beat off the
biy, but got carried away in a pursuit and suddenly faced the kursybay.
They immediately raced back, but only had time to reach a monastery near the
fortress and hid behind its fence. Gazan ordered Markas to throw wood on the
fence and to set it aflame. From a fence all monastery engaged. People in horror
started fleeing, but the kusyrbays did nor spare anybody. In total two thousand Djuns burned up and were killed there.

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165

Only one monk As-Azim, who was in the prison cellar for the spread of an heresy,
has survived. We in complete powerlessness observed the destruction of all our
army, and many of my people were already reading a doleful pray. But the attack
was not coming. We spent on the walls all night, and in the early morning As-Azim
came to me running with a tremendous news, that at night the
Kan suddenly left to the
State. We did not believe it, and I thought that it is the next trick of
Gazan, but a few daredevils, who rode from the fortress, confirmed the truthfulness of the message. Later I learned that the
reason for his departure was the news about an attack of the Mergen on the Bashkort.

Kan knew, that Mergen would never venture alone to attack the
State, and understood correctly that behind him were the Tatars.

166

Chapter 22. First reign of Altynbek (1229 AD)

Coming back, Mir-Gazi caught cold and soon died. Gazan, Bachman, Ishtyak and
Tetesh raised to the throne Altynbek, who was absolutely apathetic to the
reforms of Gali. The seid in two years married the Mir-Gazi’s widow Sauliya,
whom he loved all his life. And she was given in marriage at five years old.
Gali widowed, being in exile, and his son Mir-Gali from the daughter of Dayr grew up in the house of the suvarbashi. And one of
the Kypchak slave-girls, whom Appak, the father of Dayr traded, was presented to the
Emir of the
Djurash. He, in turn, presented her to the Gyandjian
Bek Nizami, who decorated the garden of
the poetry by fine flowers of his dastans. I read these poems, for I knew the
Farsi. And in addition to the Khorasan language I, certainly, knew the Arabian
and our Bulgarian Türki. My father while still in my childhood taught me the dialect of the
Ulchians, and one
Sadumian trader, treated by the senior brother
of Gali, the well-known Uchel tabib Isbel-hadja, taught me the
Almanian. And the languages were coming to me easy, and I even felt a necessity to
study them. In the end I read not a few of the
Urus books, and one of them told very vividly
about the raid of Syb-Bulat on the Bulyar. Wrote it Bulymer, who called himself
Khin-Kubar, but then, when his uncle Ugyr Batavylly became his seignior, changed
it and replaced his name with Ugyr. About it told me the son of Khin-Kubar , also Khin-Kubar, who came to the
Balyn to settle a dispute between the
Kisan and Djurgi... And Bulymer, who owned before only the aul Khatyn, received for this
the Batyshian city Kazile. It was founded by the Bulgars and
Anchians, who fell
behind Almysh during his move to the Bulgar. But after the death of Ugyr,
Bulymer lost the city, and it was received again only by his son Khin-Kubar
after the death of almost all Karadjirian Beks in fight with Subyatay. He
married the daughter of Tetesh, and she succeed in that our merchants were
visiting it. Due to this the Kazile grew into a big city, and Kasim, the son of
Bulyak, who liked building palaces and even stone churches in the Rus, fortified it. Then he returned to the
State, but on the way almost got into the hands of Markas. This
biy turned to Altynbek with a request to transfer to him a part of the
Ars’ tribute for the plunder, but, being refused, became
outragedand went with all his district under the power the
Balyn. Many
Urusboyars immediately settled with their ingichis on his lands
for a certain payment, but soon regretted it. My son Khisam from my first wife, the granddaughter of Chalmati, who was a Deber
balikbashy, summoned Gazan and with him attacked Markas. The
biy
escaped to me, but his district was completely ruined.

It is necessary to mention that his story caused in me not a bitterness, but the
joy for my son, who became a real bakhadir. Despite of the panic which enveloped
the Djun-Kala, I remained quiet, for I knew, that Khisam will not attack his
father. It happened exactly so. Widowed shortly before the attack of Bat-Aslap,
I married Uldjan-bi, the sister of Vasyl, in the
Balyn. She gave birth to my son Galimbek...

The Markas war relieved Gazan of participation in the Altynbek campaign on the
Djaik against Subyatay. The
Menkholian bakhadir, already knowing the strength of
the Bulgarian bulwarks, now did not commence breaking through them, and decided to lure the
Kan out of them on a bait, Mergen. The featherbrained simpleton
Altynbek, hearing about the bandit assault of Mergen on the
Saksin, soon moved
against him with Gali and Ilkham-Ishtyak. When he was remarked that he takes too few soldiers, the
Kan flared up:“Even three thousand is too much for Mergen”. He
did not expect a meeting with the Tatars to be possible, for the merchants from
the Kashan assured him about their absence on all the extent of the Bukhar-yuly.
But the merchants were bribed by Subyatai and told a lie...

Mergen tried to take
Saksin
right off the run, but was completely defeated and repelled by Bachman and grew bolder again only after the intervention in the
affair by Subyatay. The Tatars besieged the city, but the Tarkhan already pulled
out its population to the safe way to the Bandja, and remained to delay the
enemy with a thousand of the fearless daredevils. When Tatars broke into the
Saksin,
Bachman retreated into the
caravan-sarai of the Suvar-Sarai city and,
having crushed up to two thousand of the Oimeks and Tatars, with 200 of his people broke through to the
Idel and was gone. The Türkmens of the Kush-Birde
Khan, sent by Subyatay after him, run into oncoming in time Ablas-Khin
djuras and
engaged with them. Badri defended Khin to the last possibility, and then set a fire to the city and left to the Burtas. Then the
Subyatay himself raced after Bachman up the river, but soon he met with the Mardanian
Badjanaks and started
pursueing them. Carried away, the Tatars came across the Samara bulwarks and, to
the joy of Mardanians, started storming them in a rage. All the enemies would
perish in the labyrinth of these bulwarks if not for Subyatay who figured out the
Badjanaks’ game and pulled the troops back to the
Djaik. Here before the kargatuy, in a
buran , a patrol of Mergen came across the
Kan and sped away.
Altynbek pursued it and got into the embrace of the Subyatay’s iron wings. The
mostly light-armed Oimeks of the Kan, despite of their desperate bravery, did
not sustain the blow of the Tatars and dispersed. Gali fell in the fight
together with all his
djuras, Kazan and Kashan kazanchis and al-chirmyshes, but
his sturdiness distracted the Tatars. A daring strike of the Bashkorts punched a
gap in the enemy circle, holding the enemy down for some time, and allowed the Kan and Ishtyak to be saved. Then the
Kan ordered to name the place of the
fight, which belonged earlier to the Bellak, “Êàðãàëû” and forever transfer it to the Bashkort...

167

Chapter 23. Reign of Gazi-Baradj (1229-1230
AD)

Meanwhile
Emir Iljas Yaldau, unhappy that he was
not raised on the throne after the death of his father, decided to fulfill his sacred dream of the power. As
soon as Altynbek drove off to the
Djaik, Ilyas gathered 4 thousand kazanchis in
the Urnash and went with them to the Bulyar. However,the Bulyarians did not let the hated by them
ulans to enter into the capital, and the suvarbashis,
explaining it, cited their oath to my father and declared their desire to raise
me to the throne. Facing the unbending Bulyars, Yaldau decided that Gazi-Baradj
would be better than his uncle, and agreed to it. Altynbek learned about the
events before he had galloped to the capital, and went to the
Bandja to the son
of the Tarkhan Boyan-Mohammed. Bachman also came there...

The Bulyarians, without losing the time for anything, sent Khisam, who settled
in the Kazan, to Djurgi with gifts. Djurgi loved flattery and was taken by such
attention, but he released me not at all because of them, but in a hope to spread his influence over the
State. I was also pleased, by the meeting with my
son and by the given to me chance to leave the
Balynian service. I went to it after my uncle Batyr has been convincing me, he
was the son of Arbat. Batyr was the first
Balynian boyar, held in respect by the others and even by Djurgi, and
his son Nankaj was the commander of the
Moskha...

I drove into the Bulyar and was raised to the throne by Tetesh, Ishtyak, Gazan and Ablas-Khin, whom I ratified as the
Ulugbek of the
Burtas at the request of
the Mukhsha’s kazanchis and contrary to the will of Boyan. The population was
still excited by the revolt of the fanatics lead by Kylych, who after the death
of Mir-Gazi tried to not admit the accession of Altynbek and to pogrom the Christian quarter of the
Saklan capital’s uram. The suvarchi’s chirmyshes had
protected uram, but one of the most respectable merchants, Abraham, fell into
the hands of the excited paupers and was was tortured to death by the crowd. The
fanatics shouted, that they do not want a ”Christian Kan” Altynbek and that they
wish to see on the throne a non-infidel Kan. It was not hard for me to guess
that Kylych was guided by Yaldau, who tried to present himself to be a truly
faithful ruler. When after prayers I came out to the people, the fanatics
started exciting the crowd again with shouts about mine ”Secret Christianity”.
The paupers began to close on me, and Gazan with difficulties cleared with whips
a way for me in the sea of people. During this heavy for me moment, when I was
thinking of a flight, to me came Gali and said: “Instability of our
Kans, all disasters of our
State are from non-observance of our faith, which prohibits the
slavery. Relax taxes on small freeholders, subashes and al-chirmyshes to the
size of the time of Talib, confirm the law of conversion of igenchis to subashis
and al-chirmyshes when they accept Islam, enlist the remaining heathen kurmyshes into the category of kara-chirmyshes, and make
ulans into the bakhadirs , and
you will act in accordance with the Koran”. I immediately carried out his will, and this Mohammed-Gali law was announced on all maidans of the
State. The kurmyshes, especially Arns and Serbiyans of the Mountain
Side and heathen Bulgars of the Ar’s district, began to accept Islam in masses, and declare
themselves subashis or al-chirmyshes. All attemptsof the kazanchis to reinstall
the former order met resistance of the newly converted and the Bulgarian subashes who supported them. The
ulans were outraged, but Gazan, pleased with my
diligence, kept them at a respectful distance from the capital. Certainly, the
fanatics began to rage, but here I, securing support of the Seid, with an iron hand pacified them without any risk for myself...

But, alas, Tile Djurgi again did harm me, starting raiding the Mishar
Ars. Just
then Altynbek raised his head and one year after my accession went against me
with Bachman, as against the ”Secret
Balyn sympathizer and the enemy of the Islamic
State”. Gazan came to me and with a sigh told me that his kusyrbays
cannot fight with their Arbuga brothers. I realized that it was time to go on the lam, and quickly left to the Kazan, where the
Ulugbek was my Khisam. On the
way I, having notified Yaldau, sent my family to the
Nur-Suvar to him. The kazanchis wanted to ravage it, but the
Emir suddenly took a sympathy to me out
of his hatred to Altynbek, and personally saw Uldjan and small Galim to the
citadel Baryntu. Through the Kazan, under the protection of Gazan, I proceeded to drive to the
Balyn with the remains of Abraham, with which I wanted to cajole the church, influential in the
Balyn. My calculation turned out to be right.
Djurgi was unhappy with my refusal to secede to him the Kazan, but did not dare
to vent his anger on me because of goodwill to me of the clergy for the transfer
of the relicts which were immediately baptized. Their head inquired what I would
like to ask from him. I asked for his pardons of As-Azim, who was with me at all
times. The elder was strongly impressed with my story how the crowds of the
Bulyar paupers cried at me: “You brought the priest to baptize us”, and how the
As-Azim at night was bravely digging out the remains of the unfortunate Abraham,
and was protecting them during all of our way from the fanatics. When I showed the main
Urus cleric the wounds of the priest received during the skirmishes
with the paupers, the elder shed a few tears and kissed As-Azim.

Having received again the appointment in the Djun-Kala, I went there with a vague idea that I can not suffer any more such a life...

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169

Chapter 24. Second reign of Altynbek (1230-1236 AD)

When a message came about the attack on the
State by the Tatars in
the service of the Juchi’s son,
Khan Batu, and joyful Djurgi ordered me to lead a
10-thousand army to capture the Kazan, I fell in deep despair. We set out in the
winter, with 2 thousand horsemen and 8 thousand infantry, one armed worse than the other. On the way another 10 thousand Kan’s and
Kisan's horsemen joined us,
deciding to reave in the province of my son. By the vilest Kan-Mardanian road we almost reached the
balik Lachyk-Uba when one deserter came from it. He, as I
learned later, was intentionally sent by Khisam. From him we learned that
Altynbek with the Baytübaes and Bashkorts first stopped, and then destroyed 25
thousands of the Batu’s Tatars and Kypchaks. The balik, near which broke the
battle, began to be called “Bugulma”, in memory of the heroism of the bakhadirs. The
Khan barely escaped, with a wound in his waist. Only Mergen was with him, for the
Great Khan Ugyatay did not give him Subyatay. It was rumored
that he send the pitiful in the military craft Batu against the
State because he wanted
to finish the eradication of the Juchi clan, dangerous to the Menkhol’s throne, with
the swords of the Bulgars. The kusyrbays returned to the Bulyar carrying spears
with few heads of enemies impaled on them. The deserter also said that the
Kan
with all his victorious army comes from the Deber to the Djun-Kala, towards us.
Ar-Aslap, the grandson of Urman, immediately suggested to turn from the
dangerous road and to plunder the Burtas, hated by both Kisanians and Kanians, promising an easy victory. My
boyars supported him, and I, sending to Djurgi the
news about the revolt of the army, went to the Burtas. When I came to the
balik
Saran, located on the border of the Mishar and Mardan, it surrendered to me
without resistance, and I declared that I shall stay here waiting for the answer
to my report from Djurgi. But only 1500 of my Djunian infantrymen remained with
me, and all the others went to the Burtas, for they knew that nobody ç in the
State would help Ablas-Khin. And how great was my amazement when I,
during an inspection of the vicinities, met Badri. It turned out that Altynbek, right
after routing Batu, send his army on him, and he barely leapt out from the city
before the arrival of Gazan and Boyan. Quickly concluding that a bad fortune
awaits my army, and that Djurgi would not forgive it to me, I decided to flee.
And there was only one direction to run to, to the Menkhol. Ordering my 300
djuras to either come back or to join Badri, I went to the Sarychin with
Emir.
Here Ablas-Khin, loved by l the ocal residents, has remained, and I, with a hundred of his fearless
djuras, went to the East.

The destiny of my soldiery, as I learned later, was more than sad. In the city
it found the Arbugains of Boyan, but with a criminal light-mindedness
nevertheless decided to besiege the Burtas. Meanwhile Gazan, cruising around in
search of Badri, learned about the arrival of the Uruses, and attacked their
camp straight off in the broad daylight. Seeing the Kan’s banners in the rear of
the enemy, Arbugains rode from the city with a terrible growl, and also jumped
on the frightened enemies. There was a terrible battle, for the kusyrbays and
Arbugains, impregnable for the majority of the Uruses and intoxicated by the
recent victory, faught with a double might, not taking any captives. This time
the Kisanian and Kanian cavalry could not flee because of the deep snow and,
stick in them during a panic flight, was shot by the kusyrbays nd Mardanians
overtaken with a hunting rage. Nothing can be said about the
Balynian infantry,
it quickly paved the road for the Bulgarian cavalry. Boyan later told to me that
were killed 15 Kisanian and Kanian Beks and maybe 2 thousand boyars, not
counting the others. From all my army were left alive about two hundred men with
Ar-Aslap, and the remaining in the Saran
Balynss were captured by Khisam. The
Kisan and
Kan were left without cavalry, the best part of their army...

It was not any better for Batu than for Ar-Aslap, and he thought of a suicide, expected with pleasure in the headquarter of the
Great Khan . When I arrived to
his encampment and declared who I am, he did not believe it, put me in separate
yurt, and summoned the old Mergen... At last came Mergen and confirmed my identity. Batu went crazy with joy and ordered to release my
djuras, who were tortured in the attempt to catch me on a lie. Some
djuras died of these intolerable tortures. Batu, trying to
gain my pardon, offered me money for it, but I replied: “Money would not replace the
djuras”. Then Batu asked: “What do
you want from me?” I said: “Are you the ruler of all Tatars?” The
Khan became dazed and, looking around, said: “No, , I am only the viceroy of the
Great Khan
Ugyatay in the Kypchak”. To it I replied: “Then I shall answer your question to Ugyatay”. We went together to the
Great Khan , who already knew about me and about my answers to Batu...

170
171

Ugyatay was riding a horse when he met us at his headquarters. Batu hastened to dismount and approached the
Great Khan , like a guilty juvenile. The
Great Khan
sharply said something to him, and Batu fell flat to the legs of his horse. I dismounted too and bowed to greet him ... The
Great Khan , finishing his short
reception of Batu, made me a sign, and I rode after him. We rode up to a
beautiful gazebo on a picturesque hill, and entered it, and the
djuras of the
Great Khan stopped in a ring around the hill at a
respectful distance from us. With us was only a translator who knew the Kypchak and Khorasan languages, but
it turned that Ugyatay spoke Kashanian not too bad, and frequently we did away without the intermediary. The
Great Khan expressed to me his admiration for my
answer to the Batu’s offer to take money for the lost
djuras. ”You are a great
Kan if you said so!”, noticed Ugyatay. “If not for you, I would immediately
finish with Batu for the destruction of our 15 thousand soldiers!”

-” I am only an
Emir”, I answered, recognizing in
front of whom I am sitting. “And I should say that the praise from the lips of the actually
Great Khan becomes even greater”.

-”Do you want to sit on the throne of your father?”, asked Ugyatay, who liked
again my answer and finally became favorable to me.

-”Yes, but only when you would desire to conclude an alliance with me”, I answered.

I did not lie. In the Djun-Kala I had a dream as if I alone remained on the
ashes of a ruined city, and, waking up, I understood that the Creator himself
directed me to rescue my country from destructive collision with the Menkhol.
During my trip, seeing the might of the Tatars, I fortified even more in this decision.

-”Whence comes your clan?” asked Ugyatay.

-”From the
Kans of the
Hons”, I answered.

-”My clan also goes from the
Kans of the
Hons”, noted the
Great Khan . “Therefore
it would be unfair if you suffer any indignity in our Kaganate”. His eyes began
to shine, he was becoming more and more inspired... At last he rose and said:
“Henceforth you will be an ally of the Menhol. I recognize you as the
Emir of
Bulgar and, besides, as the common ambassador of our states in the West”.

By this, the
Great Khan equaled me with the other
Chingizids, for the ambassador of the Menhol sovereign is higher than the Khans and is not subject to them. I
was the only thing non-Chingizid who received the title of the ambassador and
thus was accepted in the
Menkholian ruling house. To tell the truth, I met a friendly reception only from Mankay and
Subyatay, the others did not hide their anger with me, or recognized me only out of fear of the
Great Khan ... And he, as
I was told, reminded Chingiz very much, especially in the inspired moments, when
he had made the most successful decisions... But such conditions were not
burdensome to me, for it reminded me my usual position in the
State... I was
pleased with the decision of Ugyatay not because it was advantageous personally for me, but because it protected the
State from the senseless destruction in the collision with the Tatars...

Arriving at the headquarters of Mergen, who started to shake on seeing me as in frnt of the
Great Khan , I immediately dispatched letters to the all
destinations of the
State. My uncle Ishtyak, after some hesitation, recognized me as the
Emir of the
State, and I moved over to him from the Kyzyl Yar to the Ufa. Khisam and
Yaldau also recognized me and promised to not help Altynbek. The
Kan sent to me
his daughter, Altynchac, who in reply to my question about the reason of it,
derisively declared: “My father said, that you are a woman, for you betrayed the
State, and consequently charged me with the assignment to pass
over to you his decree to pronounce you a renegade”. Ishtyak grinned, but I restrained myself
and said: “Tell your father that only those provinces which subordinate to me,
recognized by the Tatars, will be saved. The others will suffer the invasions of
the Tatars, and there is not anything more I can do to help them”...

Djelaletdin remained alone with his son and Bachman and could do nothing, for Gazan refused to fight with his kins...

To prevent devastation of the populous areas, I ordered Tatars to prepare for a
campaign on the Bulyar through the Bashkort. Ülay, the ambassador of the “Baba”
(catholic Pope? - Translator’s Note), the Supreme Head of the
Frangistan
Christians arrived to me before the attack. It turned out that one of the
firmans of Belebey reached the
Avaria, thanks to a
Sadumian merchant Kender, and the
Modjarian papazes (clergy? - Translator’s Note), under an order of
the “Baba”, after a raid of Subyatay, went at once to the
State for confirmation
of the rumors about the Christianity of the Tatars. Badri helped them to reach from the
Saklanian mountains to the Bandja, which reconciled with him per the
demand of the Suvar Yorty. From there Seid Gali, who was criss-crossing the country with the purpose to achieve the unity of the
State, took them to the
Bulyar. Altynbek did not want to let Ülay to pass to me, but, thanks to Fatima, he managed to reach Ufa. I spoke with Ülay in
Almanian and in the language of my mother, Baygulian
Seber, and he understood me not too badly, for he was a Modjar.
And I told him that the Tatars would subordinate everything located between the
State and the border of the Almania, and that it has been already
decided. And I promised him, as an ambassador, that if the
Frangs would not counteract this,
the Tatars would not cross the border of the Almania... And I had the seal of the
Great Khan , and I sent with Ülay a letter to the
Bek of the
Avaria with an
appeal to peacefully submit to the Menkhol. And As-Azim also talked with Ülay and called on him to help me, as to the
Emir kind to the Christians... And
Ishtyak was so excited by the story of Ülay about the life of the Modjars, that
he began to think of a settling there after the capture of the hostile Rus...

172
173

At last, losing his patience, Ugyatay decided to subordinate the Bulyar to me by
force. When I saw that 80 thousand Tatars and 170 thousand Kypchaks, Türkmen and
Kashans raced to Chishma, I began to cry, for I knew how this invasion would
end. In fact Guük, the son of the kind Ugyatay, crisply told me that he will
fight in accordance with the Tatar laws, that is to turn the resisting cities
into nothing. After the fortnight fights the Tatars out of three directions
could make the way only in one, the central, having lost 15 thousand fighters.
Everybody was fiercely fighting them, down to the subashes, and I only could
achieve non-involvement of the Bashkortian Bulgars in it. The Sarmanians fell
all to one defending the Tabyl-Katau, to where they left with my arrival in the
Ufa. Mankay, impressed with their bravery, ordered to burn their corps, which was considered the highest military honor.
Gazan, using steadfastness of the Baradj fortress in the lower reaches of the Chishma, retreated to the
Djuketau and stopped there, waiting for his hour...

After our breakthrough the ak-chirmyshes abandoned eight bulwarks and retreated
to the Bulyar, so that Subyatai could at last pass from this side also. The
capital, in which gathered not less than 200 thousand people, 25 thousand of
which were armed, was surrounded. The Tatars besieged it for 45 days. When fell
the Hinuba, Gazan broke through the ring of the Mergen’s Oimeks and struck on
the rears of the Guük, Baydar and Ordu. They were thoroughly crushed, and the
positioned nearby Batu retreated in horror from the city. The
Emir Bachman, who was the
sardar of the besieged, took advantage of it. Together with Altynchach
and 15 thousand fighters he broke through the formed opening and left to the
Bandja, to Boyan. Here they did not get along, and Boyan left to the Burtas.
Badri, expelled from the Sarychin by Buchek, the brother of Mankay, occupied the Razi-Suba...

Subyatai could barely restore the order and beat off from Gazan. The heavily wounded
sardar retreated to the
Djuketau , but, seeing the full exhaustion of the
kursybai, retreated to the Kashan and died there. Mergen, thus inspired, raced
in the suburb of the Tukhcha and hacked to death many merchants there. It
infuriated everybody, and the Khans ordered Batu to chop the Tarkhan into
pieces. Batu has done it with an extreme reluctance, for he valued the
personally to him loyal Mergen. After that the Tatars began to stuff with dirt
and tree logs the moats and walls of the Men Bulyar. The inhabitants tried to
obstruct it, firing at the enemy from sheredjirs and with iron arrows, but when
these means were exhausted, the Tatars made a few ramps to the walls. And I rode
to the city and tried to persuade the inhabitants to surrender, but was wounded
by an arrow in the shoulder and taken to a yurt...

The besieged fought to the last, but under the pressure of the storming Tatars,
ignited the Men Bulyar and retreated to the Echke-kalga. During the
repositioning Gali grandson was lost, and Sauliya fell behind behind, trying to
find him. The grandson was found alive, but the unfortunate woman who brouught
him up as a son was killed by the Tatar rock...

Echke-Kalga withstood for five more days. It was taken by the younger son of
Chingiz the ambitiousKulkhan. But when he carelessly leaped forward near the
“Baradj” mosque, Minnebay Yamat, the son of Karabash, shot him from the Suleiman
minaret and killed on the spot. Fatima threw herself down from the same minaret
with her son Altynchach, and crushed to death together with him...

175

Chapter 25. Gazi-Baradj becomes Bulgar's Emir again (1236-1242 AD)

Hearing the shouts of the Tatars, I rose with an effort and stepped out from the
yurt. At that time 10 thousand Bulyars, who escaped the slaughter, were lead
from the citadel to the field. Guük demanded to slay everybody, but I, with the
help of Mankay and Subyatay, shielded the peaceful ones. After that one thousand
fighters in armor were separated from the spared and they prepared to slay them.
I accidentally noticed among them Gali, who intentionally turned away his face
from me. In his arms he held his grandson, who braced him with horror. Not
remembering myself, pointing to seid, I cried fiercely to the khans: “He cannot
be executed, he is the Supreme Kakhin of the Bulgars. His death will bring
misfortune to
Menkhols”. Batu, out of the superstitious fear, and Mankay and
Subyatay, out of the kind benevolence to me, supported me, and Guük, shocked by
my scream, agreed to spare the seid. My djura began pulling Gali by force from
the terrible place, but he kept turning around toward the doomed, and tried to
cheer them with a pray. However from his lips were coming only illegible words,
which soon merged with the terrible screams of the townspeople, on whose eyes
the Tatars began to slash the last Bulyarian bakhadirs. And they looked to me as
giants, and for a long time I saw them at nights, and I did not meet fighters equal to them in bravery.

Barely standing, I went with Subyatay to Nur-Suvar, and in the Íóêðàò we met
with Yaldau and Khisam who rode to meet us. Guük insisted on destroying the
Nur-Suvar for the death of the Türkmen
Khan Kush-Birde. And that
Khan chased after Bachman, but near the
Kermek was stopped and killed by Kul-Burat,
the young son of Gazan. However Subyatay, seeing my desire to prevent a big
bloodshed, suggested to the khans to punish only the
Kermek itself, and went
there. His opinion turned out to be decisive, and everybody followed him. I
swayed Kul-Burat to go out with everybody with confession, and he surmised to
save himself and his people with a lie that Kush-Birde drowned in a bog himself. And the killed
Khan was really drowned in a bog. They began to search for him,
but, fortunately for the bakhadir, pulled only a Kush-Birde’s boot, and have
believed the bakhadir. I told Batu, that most likely someone urinated into the
bog, and by that attracted Su-Anasy who craved for lust. She seized the
unfortunate khan, and carried him into the abyss. They began to search for the
perpetrator, and really found one who urinated into the water. He was immediately drowned in retaliation for the death of Kush-Birde.

174
175

Kermek, however, was given to Türkmens to destroy. After
the death of the
Khan
they came to such a fury that, breaking into the Bulyar’s echke-kalyu, they
hacked Altynbek into pieces. And at that time I lost the count of days, and As-Azim
estimated himself that Bulyar fell on November 5, 1236 by the Uruses’ calendar...

Badri, meanwhile, met in the Razi-Suba a new “Baba” embassy. Ablas-Khin let one
ambassador, at his request, to the Bandja, but Boyan intercepted and executed
him. The two other ambassadors, who were breaking through to me with the answer from “Baba”, reached the Nur-Suvar. I kept them by me...

Ishtyak, Kul-Burat, Badri and Tetesh raised me in the
Nur-Suvar citadel Baryntu
(“Burunda” in the
Menkholian language) to the
Emir throne, and therefore the
Tatars began to call me Burunda. Certainly many people were disappointed that I
began to be titled only the
Emir, but I could not do it differently,
for I left the title of the
Emir per the agreement with Ugyatay.
I had to concede to Kypchak and to the
Great Khan the
Tubdjak and
Saksin, as a
payment for the death of 20 thousand Tatars and 55 thousand Türkmen, Kashans and .Kypchaks during the
capture of the Bulyar. I hastened to remove the Tatars beyond the limits of the
State, promising them, as the allies of the Menhols, to help with the provision
and soldiers for the taking of the Rus. Only Mankay and with him 50 thousand Tatars and others remained to besiege the unyielding Mardan...

As the Tatars forbade anything associated with the Menkhol’s enemies, I had to rename the kursybays into cossacks, as the
Hons called the most daring bakhadirs.
Gali, despite of my persuasions, refused to become the seid, and as a sign of
protest against the destruction of the Bulyar, he departed into a voluntary
confinement in the Alabuga. I proclamed Kylych the seid, and he immediately also
took the head of the “El-Khum”...

Mankay besieged
Bandja for a whole year, trying to achieve peace surrender of
this huge and blossoming city. The fact was that I, feeling for the people, in a case of a peaceful outcome, agreed to transfer the
Bandja to Batu, to set up here the capital of his ulus,
the Kypchak. However the Arbugais were defending to death, most of all in the world valuing their ancient freedom. During one
sortie of the besieged was seized Bachman himself with his son. Bachman was executed by Mankay, but I managed to extort from the kind
Khan the son of the Tarkhan, and left him with me under a name of Naryk...

176

Ablas-Khin went to Mardan also and expelled Boyan-Mohammed from the Burtas. He
was forced to come to me with a confession, and received the Kazan from me, for
I transferred Khisam to the Bolgar. I transferred Baytüba, renamed Cheremshan, to the son of Yaldau, who was sitting in the
Djuketau and therefore was nicknamed Tukhchi-Ismail. The Tatars called
Djuketau “Djiku”, therefore Ismail was also called Djiku by them.
In his possession also were the vicinities of the Bulyar, where the escaped Bulyarians erected a new city of Tatyk...

Altynchach, who have headed the Bandjians after the death of Bachman, was married to Burtas-Bagish, the son of Badri. This
Bek fell at defending the
fortress Baradj, from which he lead out all the inhabitants...

Therefore, when Badri came to the
Bandja and offered his daughter-in-law to
evacuate from the city of all the owners a conclusion, she agreed and let out
beyond the walls up to eight thousand of the suvarchis with their families.
After that the Tatars stormed the city, driving in front of themselves a crowd of the
Ars and Serbiyans. The last defenders of the Bandja,
igniting the city, gathered in the “Saban” mosque and, after Tatars’ unsuccessful attempts to take
it, were in turn burned there. Altynchach, however, was not found. It was
rumored that she managed to escape from the city and left with a squad of
Badjanak bakhadirs to the Bashkort, where her trace of got
lost. The son of Mergen, Tazbuga, was ordered to find her, but he drowned crossing
Agidel, with
many of his contingent. It was rumored that Ishtyak hid her, his granddaughter, in the Chilyab, where she died...

Bandja was completely destroyed for the death
of the 6 thousand Tatars and 11 thousand of the Kypchaks and Türkmens, and I resettled its suvarchis on the cities and
baliks of the reconstituted provinces of Samar and Echke Bulgar,
instead of the Bellak. The center of the Samar was selected the former menzel Khorasan in the
Kinel district, on which place was then built the city. It was
called, in honor of the Bandjian merchant Kamysh, the Kamysh-Saray or
Kamysh-Samar, for the suvarchis donated the most of of the means for the formation of the city...

It was planned for the winter to jointly take the Rus, with the Kanian,
Balynian,
Djirian, Djunian and Djuketunian parts of which would submit and pay tribute to
the Bulgar, and the Galidjian and
Bashtu would pay to the Menkhol. I was burning
with the desire to settle accounts with Djurgi for all those troubles I suffered by his fault. When Mankay took the
Kisan, I immediately left the camp in
Lachyk-Uba with 500 kazanchis, 5 thousand cossacks of Kul-Burat and 3 thousand Arbugains of Ablas-Khin, and without a fight entered Djun-Kala. The
boyars met
me joyfully, for they knew that only I can save them from the horrors of the war. Simultaneously Boyan passed through the
Nukrat to the Djuketun and took
this city with the help of admonition by As-Azim, whom I sent with him. From Djun-Kala, where 2 thousand
Ulchians joined me, I sent Badri to the Kan, and
Kul-Burat to Kul-Asma, and they took these cities with a terrible slaughter.
Learning about it, Djurgi left Batyr in the Bulymer and fled to the rivulet Shud, where he began collecting troops from the
Balyn and Galidj. The ”Tile Balynly”
hoped to sit out in the forests and preserve the army, and then to return and recapture his lands. I, however, broke his plans, sending to the
Galidj a letter notifying about the opportunity of the peaceful transition of the
Galidj into the hand of the Menholian
Great Khan in case of the non-interference of the
Galidjians in the war with the
Balyn. The Galidjian boyars, having read the letter, did not help Djurgi...

177

Having solidified the Djun-Kala under the
State power and leaving here
Ablas-Khin, I went against the Radjil. Kul-Burat, moving ahead of me, took and
burned this fortress, and then the Kush-Urma and Ar-Aslap. In Kush-Urma we were joined by Boyan, who took the Balukta and
Mir-Galidj after the Djuketun, but his spoils were so great that I left him in place. I entered
Djir peacefully, with the sounds of the bells, for the local
boyars remembered and loved me. They told
me with tears that Djurgi forcibly took from the city the family of Vasyl to his
camp, and begged me to rescue them... Meanwhile Guük took the
Moskha due to the
surrender by the son of Djurgi, who relieved Nankai from the power. Nankai locked in the
balik named after his ancestor, “Arbat”, where the
Bek was killed.
Guük brought his head to Bulymer, and Batyr, seeing it, surrendered in grief. As
in the beginning he did not want to surrender to the Tatars and put up a
resistance to them, Guük immediately ordered to strangle my aged uncle.

I, with the
Djirian guides, rushed to the Shud, through the Amut which
surrendered to my boyars. Not a single
Djirian, out of the hatred to Djurgi and the love to me, did inform the
Balynian about my expeditious movement. Three
thousand cossacks and 300 Suvarian militiamen led by Kul-Burat quietly circled
the camp from the west and positioned in wait on the way to the Galidj, and I
with the others struck on the Djurgi’s camp. In the front were 2 thousand infantrymen of the
Djirianboyar Deber-Aslap, whom Djurgi earlier banished to
the Djun-Kala for his sympathies to me, and whom I appointed as my envoy in the
Djir. Djurgi bolted to the
Galidj road, but his cart fell under the shots of the
Suvarian archers and the swords of the Kul-Burat cossacks. Jumping off the cart,
Djurgi bolted to the thicket, but got stuck in the snow. Naryk aptly rode to
him, and, cutting off his head with a chirkes, impaled it on the staff of the battle flag.

And Djurgi sent Bat-Aslap to the
Galidj with a convoy with all the
Balynian
treasury. With him were also sent Vasyl and his son Barys, who knew nothing
about it. When the patrol of Bat-Aslap met Kul-Burat, Bat-Aslap immediately
turned to the south and met with Guük, and Barys in a confusion fled to the
sardar and was forwarded to me. The other relatives of Vasyl
also joined me with their people, and I treated them as my sons. And the
Balynians, numbering up to
25 thousand, were ruthlessly hacked up by my people, who have lost 500 cossacks,
250 Bulgarian archers and one thousand of the
Djirians and Djunians.

Bat-Aslap transferred to Guük the treasury, and was spared by the Khan, however
not for it, but for his actions against me. He slandered the poor Vasyl, telling
Guük that he intentionally sent his son to me with ten wagons out of the fifty.
It was a lie. And Vasyl was telling in vain that he knew nothing about the
contents of the wagons and did not induce Barys to flee. Guük tormented him with terrible tortures and, not able to force the
Bek to defame his son and me, killed him in a fury.

When I was reached by the requirement of Guük to deliver Barys, I, being afraid
for his fate because of the Khan’s hatred to me, sent the
Bek with Naryk to the
Bulgar. However, the suspicion of me penetrated even into the soul of Batu, and
only the words of Mankay and Subyatay in defence of my honor saved me from the unjust punishment.

And I was always amazed by the passion with which many khans sorted out any
rumors and squabbles, even interrupting at that time the important war
operations, as though the Menkhol’s destiny depended on the analysis of empty snitches. In my case only the traditionally
passionless words of Subyatay about the need to quicker execute first of all the decree of the
Great Khan stopped the prolonged dispute of the khans...

Having received the Batu and Guük order to move farther with them, I responded
that Bulgars fight against Rus only in the middle of the winter, and turned
back. When a second envoy of both khans warned me in their name that I will be
cut into chunks for my refusal to go to the Galidj, I responded through him about my decision to preserve the
Galidj for the
Great Khan. Here Guük bit his
tongue, recalling who I am. In his personal letter to me he asked not to take
offense for the murder of Batyr and Vasyl, and assured that he would not execute
them if he knew how they are related with me. In response I wrote that their
death happened by the will of Allah and that I am not going to blame for it anybody, which caused in the soul of the
Khan a unique in his life gleam of a sympathy to another person...

178
179

After my departure the khans, feeling uncertain without me, stopped at a distance of three days travel from the Galidj,
and turned towards the steppe. The Karadjarian and Shamlynian Beks, trying to prevent the intrusion into their possessions,
sent to the Kazile a 20-thousand army led by the
Kaubuyian Bek Kur-Amir. The
Bek stationed most of his army near the city, and himself,
with 4 thousand fighters, posted in the citadel. The Tatars, not knowing that the city
was fortified by the Bulgarian custom and is defended by the Kara-Bulgar Bek, tried to take it on the run, and failed. The
Kaubuyian fighters, acting in
concert from the ambush and the city, repelled all attacks of the Tatars. The
fights lasted for six days, and at the dawn of the seventh Kur-Amir with the
remains of his alay left the city and went to the Batavyl. From there, however, he was forced to retreat to the Karadjar, for the
Karadjar Bek evacuated from
there all the troops to his city. The embittered Tatars destroyed abandoned by
him Kazile and pursued him until the city, but did not dare to capture it, mindful of the
Kaubuys. Subyatay,who was in the rear of the Tatar army, arrived
to the Kazile after the capture of the fortress. Learning about the loss here of
2 thousand Tatars and 5 thousand others, the only time in his life he was
infuriated and reproached the khans for their recklessness. This time even the
most rowdy kept quiet and lowered their heads, the fact was that in all other fights in the Rus the khans lost 7 thousand
Tatars and 20 thousand others, and the Kazile losses were equal to all Kisanian combined! [...]

Having agreed to take the
Karadjar the next year, the khans went to the steppes to rest. During the fights in the
State and in the Rus they lost 35 thousands
Tatars and 91 thousands others, and to the steppe came 45 thousands Tatars and
79 thousands others. And in the capture of the Bulyar were killed 400 thousand Bulgars, in the capture of the
Bandja 80 thousand Bulgars, in the capture of the
Kisan 70 thousand
Ulchians, in the capture the
Balyn 360 thousand
Ulchians, in the capture of the Kazile and
Batavyl 100 thousand
Ulchians. After that in the
State remained 1,500 thousand Bulgars and 750 thousand Arians,
Sebers, Uruses and Serbiyans, and in the
Kisan and
Balyn were 4,500 thousand
Ulchians and 600 thousand Arians...

Soon after my return from the
Balynian war to me arrived the trusted person, or Bashkak, of the
Great Khan, the Kashan
Khan Kutlu-Buga (the brother of the Ugyatay wife) with the Mongytian tima of
the sons of Chambek, Kalmak and Burilday Beks. Bashkak was charged with the control for the
Great Khan provinces, and intermeditation between me, that is the
State, and the Kypchak Horde. He had hardly divided the districts of the
Djaik and
Saksin between his
Mongyts and the Batu brother Berkay, which was accompanied by quarrels and
threats from Berkay. Even more difficult was to define the possessions of the
State and the Kypchak. The troublemaker Berkay suddenly pretended to
all of the Samar, the former Bellak, and invaded that province of the
State with his
Kypchaks. Badri with Naryk went against the impudent, but, unfortunately, the
young and arrogant Burilday interfered in the affair on the side of Berkay. We
crushed about 300 Kypchaks and some 100 Mongyts, and cleared Samar of their
presence, but because of the Mongyts our dispute got an unpleasant and dangerous
form of the collision with the Menkhol. Therefore I arrived to Kutlu-Buga and
gave in joint use of Berkay and Mongyts the most deserted area of the Samar. The
kind Kutlu-Buga loudly declared it to the trouble-makers as a great concession by the
State, named me Sain and forced them to stop conflicting with me. And I
nicknamed Kutlu-Buga “Bagrim” and never was disappointed in him.

180

Only Allah one knows, what would happen between the
State and theKypchak had he not been the Bashkak!

I gave Kutlu-Buga one quarter of the Gülistan
balik in the Bolgar, and he summoned here from the
Galidj Ar-Aslap
Bek and appointed him responsible for the
secure collection of the
Menkholian and Bulgarian tribute from the Galidj. He
came with head and chin shaven as a sign of submission, and paid the tribute for
three years. Kutlu-Buga took from the tribute the Menkhol share, and I took the share of the
State, a fourth part. And and this fourth part exceeded twice the old full
Djirian tribute which consisted of the
Djirian, Kisanian and Kanian shares...

After the Ar-Aslap to the Bolgar a began coming also other
Ulchian Beks... And when the the Kara-Ulcha and Buri-Sala
Bek Danil arrived there and agreed with
Kutlu-Buga about submission of his possessions under the hand of the
Great Khan, Berkay traitorously attacked the Buri-Sala and
mown its population. Learning about it, the Karadjarian
Bek Myshdauly turned back from the Bulgarian road, and
Mankay had to take his city by force. Kur-Amir held the city to the last, and
then retreated to the Shamlyn. Here he died from the wounds and was buried with honors, as the bakhadir who saved the city from the Tatars...

In 1240 I received the reply from the
Great Khan to my letter, in which Ugyatay
called on me to help the Tatars to subdue the
Bashtu, Baylak and Modjar. I began
preparations for the campaign and left to the Mukhsha, but, suddenly, Berkay
attacked the Burtas. Badri helped the city to withstand, but the district was completely ravaged. Up to 50 thousand of the
Burtasian Bulgars fled to the Echke
Bulgar, and their stories about the atrocities of the Tatars excited all the
population. Taking advantage of it, Yaldau raised a mutiny against me, and with the help of Boyan and Ismail captured
Nur-Suvar and Bolgar and seized Khisam.
The cunning Yaldau, however, in those conditions of uncertainty did not dare to
declare himself the Kan, and encouraged the djien insurgents to declare Gali as the head of the country with the title of the
Seid. The mullah did not leave Alabuga in view of his feebleness, but agreed to become the head of the
State. He immediately sent to the
Nur-Suvar his firman which said: “By the will of
Allah, I, Seid Mohammed-Gali, accept the control of the Bulgarian
State and declare jihad to the damned Tatar troops.

Following the will of the Creator, the true
Emir of all Moslems, I also proclaim:

-All people are born to be equal. Let the will of the Almighty come true.

181

- Henceforth all ingichis who accepted Islam are transferred to the subashes and
ak-chirmyshes category, and the remaining heathen to the kara-chirmyshes.
-Let people not pay and not serve to anybody, except for their own
State.
-Let rulers of all ranks get be elected and displaced by the Moslem djiens where
the categories of cossacks, al-chirmyshes, suvars and subashes have equal rights.
-Let the same djien pass all the laws of the state, down to the decision on war and peace.
-Let rulers rule under the law, and the knights serve as cossacks for the state
salary or be transferred to the categories of suvars or igenchians.
- Let the reasonable limits to the riches and the taxes, established by Talib, be restored.
-Let everyone select the category of his existence, and this his right will be untouchable.
-Let the merchants and masters voluntary increase the share of the ordinary participants in their enterprise.
-Let everyone have the right to the court appointed by me and the following me
elected Seids, to complain about any person, and to receive a fair satisfaction under the law.
-Let for the proved extortions, theft, adultery and other crimes the guilty of them to be expelled from the
State without the right of return...”

There were still more, but I remembered only these, the most important ones.

The firman came to the end with the following words:

“Let all, who can wear armors, belt on a sword for the sacred war for this will of the Creator.
Testifying this to be true, I, the Seid Mohammed-Gali, put my seal to the written”.

Having received the firman, Ilyas was terrified and tried to hide it. In fact,
he was not going to obey the seid, and only wanted to use his name for his own
benefit. But the firman reached the people, and ingichis and small proprietors began to attack the kazanchis,
bilemchis and suvarbashis. Kul-Burat, appointed the
sardar by the seid, gathered in his army the kurmyshes and kara-chirmyshes,
and in September with his army he entered the Bolgar and Nur-Suvar.

Batu at that time besieged the
Bashtu. I was not informing him about the revolt,
not be the culprit for the failure of the Tatars’ campaign. Kutlu-Buga, learning
about the revolt, took from Batu the best corps of Subyatay and sent the
Emir to
the Mukhsha to my aid. Without Subyatay the Tatars turned out to be unable to act against the
Bashtu, and departed from the city.

When Subyatay came close, I went with him and Badri to the Nur-Suvar. The
kazanchis and suvarbashis, scared by the revolt of the underclass, forgot about
jihad and only waited for my arrival. As soon as I approached the
Nur-Suvar the
suvarbashis and kazanchis betraid the throngs of the underclass, and Ilyas rode
to me with a penance and with the heads of the eight rebels. Kul-Burat did not
begin to fight with Badri, whom I prudently sent forward, and retreaded to the
Echke-Kalga of the Bolgar. But the underclass pickets gave us a desperate
resistance, but were dispersed.

In the Bolgar, in the morning, before our arrival to the city, the suvarbashis
and kazanchis attacked the underclass units and subjected them to a ruthless
eradication. Boyan and Ismail rode to me from the city, in a sign of the
submission tied with ropes... After that Kul-Burat also rode to me from the
citadel, having received my assurance to spare his cossacks. The embittered
kazanchis attacked him, and the Arbugais of Badri with much efforts separated
the fighters. Subyatay, held back by me, did not interfere, and I myself, in exchange for sparing the
Nur-Suvar and Bolgar, ordered to demolish the “Mumin”
fort. I forgave Ilyas, Boyan, Ismail and Kul-Burat. The bakhadir of the
Menkhols
expressed his surprise with my softness, on which I said: “How is it possible to
rule the country after exterminating the best Beks and cossacks for their minute
swaying?” Subyatay laid off and, after a rest, went to Batu.

Gali, learning about the events, collapsed and did not rise any more. I did not
disturbed his solitudes. Only after the campaign in the west I sent Kul-Burat to
Alabuga, charging him to move the Seid to the Nur-Suvar. I painfully wanted to
explain to Gali the motives of my actions, but I could not have done it. The
sardar found the Seid dying. Near the capital he tired out the horses, and
himself was pulling the arba. Alas, he drove to the
Nur-Suvar the already
lifeless body of Gali with the book ”Hon Kitaby” on his chest. I buried the
teacher near the palace, but after that could not rule any longer. In 1242, having raised Khisam to the throne of the
State, I left to Batu, who for a long time was asking me to become his Visir...

But then, after the suppression of the ”Gali War”, I felt to be a happiest person, for I saved from the destruction the
Nur-Suvar and Bolgar. Leaving
Khisam in the capital, and Kul-Burat in the Bolgar, I followed Subyatay with
Ablas-Khin, Boyan and Naryk, and 5 thousand suvarchies, cossacks and arbugains to the
Bashtu... We arrived to Batu at the end of October, 1240. The
Khan has been helplessly trambling at the
Bashtu, for the
Kaubuys,
embittered by the Tatars’ ravages of their province, resisted all attempts by Batu to set up the
siege of the city. Guük was furious, for Ugyatay ordered all khans, except for
the members of the house of Juchi, to come to him by the end of year. Subyatay
also was excited and jumped to me with the words: “Now you should help me!” I
was touched with him displaying the human feelings, and immediately went forward. The
Kaubuys
and Türkmens, seeing my
Hons’ banner, immediately came over to my side, and the Tatars could close the ring besieging the
Bashtu. I attached four thousand
Kaubuys
to my army, and did not regret it... It happened on November 5 on milad, as I was told by As-Azim. I myself already did not keep
track of the days...

182
183

When it began to be possible to approach
Bashtu closer, the Khinian masters
ineptly began striking the walls. The task turned out to be protracting, and
Batu in irritation started flogging the masters with a whip, threatening them
with terrible punishments. I, perfectly knowing the weaknesses of the Urus'
fortifications, however, did not initial to help them with an advice, for after
the destruction of the Bulyar I already could not stand the view of the cruel
murders of the innocent people. Taking also the pity of the
Bashtues, I ordered Badri to ride to the wall from our side and to lead out even a part of the
inhabitants from the city. When Ablas-Khin shouted to the besieged: “Come out! There will be an attack now!”, and raised high our
Hons’ banner, the
Bashtues began to leave through the Copper Gate. Before Guük arrived, I had time to let
through my lines about 5 thousand inhabitants. Guük, who suddenly galloped to
us, froze from what he saw, but, fortunately, Badri had time to throw our banner on the wall directly into the hands of a cagy
Bashtuan, and I presented it as
bringing the captured through the gate taken by me. Guük could not directly
unmask me, as the
Bashtues waived the Bulgarian banner, and in a powerless fury
ordered me to give the place to Mankay. While the
Khan was approaching,
Bashtuan left the city with my banner, and his comrades tightly closed the gate again.
The
Bashtuan was called Yakub, and he was the son of that Kuman Bulsan who under
the order of Khondjak secretly let out to home the captured
Bek Ugyr. I charged him with the
Bashtuans who left the city, and he could safely lead them to
Galidj. And we departed from the city, and I, pretending to be unfairly
offended, retired in my yurt so to not see the massacre following after this...

We were at
Bashtu two more weeks after the capture of city by the Tatars, for
Batu made a farewell feast for the Chingizids who were leaving to home. I
purposely was not invited, for everybody, certainly, figured out my simple fable about the
Bashtu captives escaping from the guards. Only the tipsy Subyatay
dared to come to me under a pretense of the natural needs, and, almost forcibly
handing me a secretly taken goblet of archa, said: “I do not understand, why
Suldan loves you, you really do not want to be the sulda? I would not drink with
you for your slyness, but there is nothing I could do, Suldan himself came to me
last night and ordered to bring you this archa! Fight! Fight!” [...]

And the Tatar word “suldai” came from the
Hons’ “suldash”, meaning “mercenary”,
only the Bulgars then began pronouncing this word like
Sabanians: “üldash”. But
Subyatay did not want to offend me, for in the Tatarian the word “suldai” meant ”bravest soldier”...

A captive
Bashtuyanboyar Dima-Karak, taken by the
Kaubuys
near our camp, induced Batu for a campaign against
Avaria, by a false promise of an easy
victory. I did everything to prevent this intrusion, but the hating me Baydar
Ordu talked Batu into it. Then I declared that I shall not be at war with the
Modjars in view of their consanguinty with the Bulgars, and Batu not
without a regret agreed to send me through Bailak and Vakhta to join with him in
Avaria..
He wanted to give me the silent Kydan..., but Baydar and the blindly obeying him
Ordu insisted on sending them with me. In a fierce argument they loudly accused
me of aspiration to traitorously ally with the Frants and to strike with them on
Batu, but Subyatay shut their yelling, pointing to the scantiness of their
acheavements in comparison with mine, and to the traitorous character of their
own helpless treading at the citadel. During all the way I regretted that I pulled out Dima-Karak from the hands of the
Kaubuys,
who wanted to finish the
boyar off for his raids on their possessions...

We set out ahead of Batu, and on the way to the Bailak 10 thousands Shamlyns of the
Bek Michael joined Baydar. Shamlynians were taking the
walls of the cities along the way, and the Tatars plundered and burned them... This campaign was the
most disgusting in my life. The atrocities and the senseless murders by the
Tatars were upsetting my people, and the
Menkhols were enraged by that I always
set up my stan at some distance from them and defiantly surrounded its with the wagons, boards and blockages of the trees...

Baydarà had, in addition to the Shamlyns, 4 thousand
Menkhols and 20 thousand of
different üldash crowd. Almost every day his camp had wild sceens. Once Ordu
accused the Kypchaks that they stole and ate the Tatar’s sheeps. Baydar ordered
to kill for that one hundred Kyrgyzes, though in all the steppe the were known
for their honest nature. When the doomed for terrible execution began to be tied
down, they raced to my camp, shouting: “We are dieing! Save us!” In the years of
encounters with the
Menkhols my people grew unaccustomed to the intervention in
their affairs, but here, hearing the calls for help in their native language,
could not restrain themselves and poured out onto the wagons with weapons in
their hands. The Tatars, pursuing the fugitives, stopped, and began shooting
them from the bows. Only three Kyrgyzes managed to crawl through the wagons, but
one of them has already been fatally wounded and, dying, said to me: “Thank you
that you relieved us of the terrible execution. Let the Tangra to pardon you on
the Doomsday!”

I quickly ordered to put the clothes of other fugitives on the two
Kaubuys
who died of wounds...

184
185

From the
Batavyl I sent my people with the letters to the Artan
Bek Askal and to the sons of the Galidjian Bek, subjected
to me and Kypchak. One of them of [the letter] Alak-Djan had distinguished by his atrocities and church plunders during the storm of
Bashtu, and later on by not helping our merchants at the lake Nurma
during an attack of an
Almanian unit, and shamefully fled from them with 8 thousand of the
Galidjians. But another helped me to move to the
Galidj the
BashtuAnchians, and then, with 300 of his
djuras, and
Anchians, and 200
Artanians of Askal, defeated that
Almanian unit of seven Beks and 600 Karatunian
people... Askal earlier served in the Bulgar, and participated with me in the
campaign against the Djuketun, and then was my guide in the Bailak. He
repeatedly bravely defended our merchants and revenged the Galidjians and
Almanians for their robberies. I let him off to his home with one of the “Baba” envoys...

Batu sent his firman about granting broad rights to the Rus church with
Alak-Djan, and he presented it as a result of his efforts, even though his
brother solicited for the church. Even earlier, Alak-Djan attributed to himself the victory of the Iske-Galidjians and the
SadumianArs, who switched to their
side, over the Sadimians, though he arrived to the place of the fight already
after the victory, and only hacked up ruthlessly all the captives...

GAZI-BABA
THE BIOGRAPHY OF GAZI-BARADJ
1262 AD

And this is a fragment from the ”Biography of Gazi-Baradj” by Gazi-Baba himself:

186

“In 1241 my
Emir Gazi-Baradj participated in
the campaign on Alman and reached the
Avaria, or Modjar. The local
Ulchians and
Almanians set up an ambush and at night killed the Tatars who were with the
Emir. We stopped in a separate stan
and did not suffer in the ambush, but when we set off further, we found that we are pursued. Then the
Emir set up an ambush at the city of
Burash, and crushed not less than 10 thousand pursuers. With the heads of the enemies on the spears,
we approached the city and forced it to surrender. There
Emir provisioned himself with all the
necessaties and, covering the distance to the Modjar, joined with other Tatars. Learning about the destruction of their comrades,
these Tatars wanted to revenge by crushing the Modjar, but the
Emir refused under the pretext that the
Modjars and Bulgars are relatives, and forced them
to turn back to the Kypchak. And this area the
Great Kan of the Tatars transferred as a Tarkhanlyk to his relative,
Khan Batu...

When the Tatars and our forces stopped in
Bashtu on the return way, and the
Khan asked how to keep the numerous
Ulchians under his power, the
Emir told him: “Among
Ulchians many are dissatisfied with their Beks, these are
Anchians. Gather and join them with the
Kaubuys
in one army, and it will loyally serve you”. And Batu and did it and ordered the army to call itself Tatarian, for the Tatars
called all serving them [non-Tatars] the “Tatars”... But the
Kaubuys
refused, and then the
Emir suggested to the
Khan to call the soldiers of this army the cossacks.”For the Bulgars, the
word cossack means a valorous bakhadir, who fights without chain armors as a sign of the disregard to the death. Such
bakhadirs give a vow not to marry until the glorify themselves with battle deeds. Let these soldiers be similar to the
cossacks”, added Gazi-Baradj. Batu liked this idea, and he approved it. And even earlier the
Emir created the
cossack army in the Bulgar, and it replaced the kursybay...

In the 1242 Gazi-Baradj raised to the throne in the
Nur-Suvar his son of Khisam,
and went from the Bulgar to the Kypchak, for he accepted the offer of the Great
Kan to become his Bashêàê in the Kypchak, with the idea of annexation of the
Kypchak to the Bulgar. He built for Batu the city
Sarai and settled the Bulgars
there. Besides, he tried to put Bulgars in power everywhere in the Kypchak. His
enemy in the Kypchak was Berkay, the brother of Batu, who was backed by the
Khwarezmians and Kypchaks... Most of all Berkay was irritated by the Bulgars collecting the tribute from the
Balyn,
Djir, Djuketun, Kan, DjunKala and Balukta...

The
Great Khan asked Gazi-Baradj to hire into his service
our masters and salchis, to conquer the Machin, Imen island, and other countries. It was caused by the
Chins’ tale about coming to the Chin from the Bulyar a thousand years ago
of the one thousand people of two kinds, May and Ishtyak, and that these Bulgars
became famous as excellent seafarers. Once they were sent to capture a distant
Machinian island, and did not come back. Only one Bulyarian came back from there
through the Near Machin island with the news that the inhabitants of that
country pretended to submit to the Bulyars, but at night sank all their ships...
He hired all the required people and sent them with a huge caravan to the Great
Khan...

187

In the1246, when Gazi-Baradj died in the Sarai, his groom Yaldau raised Boyan and Tukhchi-Ismail on a new revolt against Khisam
and the Tatars. The rebels captured the Bolgar and Nur-Suvar, and seized Khisam.
Yaldau became the
Emir. But this time the subashis,
embittered by the last betrayal of the
ulans, and the Burat’s cossacks did not support the Beks.
The Great
Kan sent Uran-Kytay to the aid of Khisam, and he,
together with Burat and Kalmak, besieged the Nur-Suvar...

After Yaldau was killed on the wall by an arrow, the Nur-Suvarians opened the
gate to Burat. Burat removed all the population, and then the Tatars leveled the
city with the ground. When the brother of Kalmak, Burilday, tramped the Gali’s
tomb near the
Emir’s palace with his horse’s hoofs,
an elder from among the brothers of the “El-Khum” approached him and said: “What are you doing? This is
the tomb of a saint! You yourself are calling the death on your head!”

But Burilday split the head of the brother with a sword and continued his sacrilege...

And Kalmak took a nickname Burunday, because together with Burat he rescued the population of the
Nur-Suvar from the destruction, and wanted it to be remembered...

Boyan and Tukhchi, who fled from the Nur-Suvar, locked up in the Bolgar, but
under pressure of the scared Suvarchis they also had to release Khisam and to
run away under a cover of a night. It is said that Burat secretly let them
through across his lines for the sake of the city. The released Khisam asked
Uran-Kytay, in memory of the friendship of their fathers, who even died in the
same year, to spare the Bolgar for his residence, and the Subyatay’s son took
the Tatars away. Thus the Bolgar became again the capital of the Bulgarian State...

And Galimbek then expelled Boyan from the Kazan, and Boyan in the 1247 founded
the Ar-Kala, or Archa-balik, up the Arsu river. Then in the 1248 he founded a
new Ar-Kala, which also began to be called simply Archa...”.

Gazi-Baba also preserved and the following important judgment of the seid Gali
on this topic:

“... The might of our state, since the time of
Idel in the Ur or Old Turan, from
time to time was fading away because the people themselves ceased to be
interested in its strength and supported the Khans only during the enemy invasions...” [...]